OSLO, April 27 -- Norway on Monday sent a 34-member search and rescue team to help with relief operations in Nepal devastated by Saturday's 7.8-magnitude earthquake, Norway's NTB news agency reported.
A chartered plane with 34 rescuers from Oslo's fire and rescue service and the Oslo University, five dogs and 15 tons of rescue and relief equipment took off from the Gardermoen airport in Oslo Monday morning, the report said.
The plane is scheduled to land in the Azerbaijan capital of Baku to refuel before it continues its flight to Kathmandu. The trip will take at least nine hours and the Norwegian team will probably be operational from Monday night.
"We hope to rescue and help as many people as possible. The aim of our mission is to find survivors," said Havard Bakken, a brigade commander from Oslo's fire and rescue service and a member of the rescue team.
Nepal's Home Ministry said on Monday that death toll from the quake rose to 3,726, including 931 in capital Kathmandu, and 6,944 others were injured.
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